


Ryuji and Akira's (Oblivious) Saturdays

by spark_plugx



Series: Two Local Teens Oblivious To Their Gay Feelings For Each Other (and their friends are stuck witnessing it) [7]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Dorks in Love, Fluff, M/M, Pining, akira loving ryuji so much and calling him beautiful, discovering feelings, ryuji and akira being fluffy boys, ryuji's mom laying on the TRUTH, sojiro lowkey embarrassing akira like the dad he is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2019-01-09 05:49:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12270153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spark_plugx/pseuds/spark_plugx
Summary: Ryuji picked up the flowers and brought them into the apartment, not noticing his mother’s wide eyes as he made space for them on the coffee table."Red tulips?" His mother questioned and he nodded his head as he set them down. "Kiddo, those flowers definitely represent his feelings loud and clear," his mother said and he turned to look at her."What?" He asked, not understanding what she meant."Red tulips are a declaration of love.”(or, 5 Saturdays Ryuji and Akira spend trying to figure out their own feelings)





	Ryuji and Akira's (Oblivious) Saturdays

**Author's Note:**

> So sorry for ending it on a cliff hanger! I actually went to an anime convention, I was cosplaying Ann all weekend living my life to the fullest. I got to meet Futaba’s voice actor too! If you wanna see any of the pics, I’m posting them on my instagram: sparkplugx
> 
> Anyway here it is. The good shit. The best shit. Sorry if it jumps around with POVs but I wanted to get both Ryuji and Akira equally represented with all their feelings 
> 
> Does Ryuji’s mom not have a canon name? cool well I’m giving her one. 
> 
> ALSO I am not a flower expert. I dunno the regions they grow or the seasons or specific meanings so…I used like 3 different sites for this and ya know it’ll have to do for these boys! I’m sorry for any mistakes, I typed a majority of this on my phone and then transferred it to word.

 “Hey man, still good to hang today?” Ryuji asked when Akira approached him in the hallway after school Saturday. Akira nodded his head in response. “Sweet! Are you sure you wanna go fishing tomorrow morning? What if Kawakami is there?” Ryuji asked as they walked down the stairs.

“I know how to fish better now. I read a few books about it. We won’t have to bother her about it. Besides, it was your idea in the first place. Do you not want to go anymore?” Akira reminded the blond, ignoring a group of girls who were clearly talking about the two. He and Ryuji had been friends for months, when would they find something new to talk about?

“Of course I wanna go! I just hate gettin’ up so early in the morning,” Ryuji complained, not wanting to get up early on his day off.

“Why don’t you just spend the night then? You won’t have to get up as early and we won’t have to worry about keeping the other waiting,” Akira suggested as they left the school.

“Really? Dude, great idea! I just gotta run by the house to get a change of clothes. Wanna come with? My mom should be home, she’ll be happy to see you again,” Ryuji said, heading towards the train station. Akira nodded his head, smiling when Ryuji flashed him a big smile before launching into a discussion about what they should get for dinner.

* * *

“Hey, come home to change?” Ryuji’s mom asked when Ryuji opened the door to their apartment. “I thought you were goin’ hang out with Akira—Oh, there he is,” she said when Akira followed behind Ryuji into the apartment. “Hey there kiddo, how are you?”

“Good, how are you?” Akira replied, sitting down on the chair that was next to the couch. Ryuji’s mom sat up and muted the tv, looking like she just woke up from a cat nap on the couch.

“I’m spending the night with Akira since we’re goin’ fishing tomorrow morning. I came to get my overnight bag,” Ryuji told her, going into his room.

“You two ain’t getting into trouble, right?” She asked in a teasing manner, laughing when she heard Ryuji groan from inside his room. “I’m just kidding, I know Akira is a good boy, so are you!”

Miiko Sakamoto was a little shorter than Ryuji and had her brown hair piled up in a bun on her head. She and Ryuji had the same eyes, and Ryuji got most of his looks from her, which was good for him because she was beautiful. She usually looked like she needed a good nap, but she was always positive and upbeat. Ryuji must have gotten that from her too.

“I’ll get the apartment to myself tonight without him comin’ in and making a racket,” she said to Akira, just loud enough so that Ryuji could hear her.

“I ain’t that loud!” Ryuji exclaimed and Akira chuckled as they bantered back and forth. He wished he and his mom had a relationship that was as good as Ryuji and his mom’s. Even half as good as theirs would be great. “Besides, you stomp around all the time in the mornin’,” he added before coming out of his room in a tank top and shorts, his bag hanging off his shoulder. “I’ll see ya later,” he went over to the couch and she kissed his head as Akira stood.

“C’mere!” She told Akira and he walked over, bending down so she could kiss him on the head too. “You two be safe and don’t stay up too late.”

“We won’t! You don’t stay up too late either, there’s leftover dinner from last night in the fridge, so make sure to eat it,” Ryuji said, walking towards the door with Akira.

“I saw the sticky note. Those are just the cutest things, just like my little boy!” She laughed when Ryuji blushed and pushed Akira out the door, who was laughing just as hard as Ryuji’s mother was.

“Stop laughin’!” Ryuji told him after he shut the door, frowning at Akira. Though he couldn’t keep up his frown for long, not when Akira was laughing. “Let’s stop and get some ramen! I’m starvvvvinggg!”

* * *

“Hey, man, somethin’ wrong?” Ryuji asked, glancing at Akira, who was sitting on the couch, watching Ryuji play the game. “You’ve been a little quiet since we left my place.”

“It’s nothing,” Akira said, not wanting to tell Ryuji how jealous he was of his relationship with his mom. He was hoping Ryuji was going to let it go, but Ryuji paused his game and turned his full attention to Akira.

“Don’t wanna talk about it?” Ryuji asked and Akira couldn’t lie to those big brown eyes. They were filled with trust and worry and security.

He was so weak.

“Just…” Akira shrugged, feeling embarrassed by it now. He never told the team about his relationship with his parents. Not even Ryuji. They all had their problems and he didn’t want to bring his into the mix. Besides, he didn’t like talking about it.

“Dude, c’mon, you can tell me anything!” Ryuji got out of his chair and plopped down on the couch next to Akira. “If you don’t wanna talk about it, it’s okay. I just want ya to know that I’m down to listen to whatever you wanna talk about,” Ryuji added when Akira didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to push Akira into talking, but he had an unsettling feeling in his gut knowing that something was bothering him.

“I’m jealous of your relationship with your mom,” Akira admitted, looking at Ryuji. “I uh…I haven’t spoken to my parents since I came here.”

“For real?!” Ryuji questioned, not believing it. “You…you really haven’t spoken to your parents in months?” He couldn’t imagine not talking to his mother for a _week_! How could Akira handle months? Did they have a bad relationship? “Why not? Don’t you miss them? Don’t they miss you?” He knew he was asking a lot of questions at once but he couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

Akira shrugged, not knowing how to answer all the questions.

“Dude, are you okay? I can’t believe….I guess that’s why you never talk about them,” Ryuji mumbled to himself, trying to remember a time that Akira talked about his parents, but came up blank. How did he not notice that before?

“I guess, it’s always been like that though. Got worse after…” he didn’t finish; they both knew about the incident. “I wasn’t expecting much contact but it’s been a few months. I just wish my mom and I could talk like you and your mom do.”

“Man,” Akira blinked when Ryuji pulled him into a hug, squeezing him tightly. He had hugged Ryuji before, but it was usually side hugs. “My mom will be your mom! She already loves you like a son. Who wouldn’t love you?” Ryuji continued as Akira hugged him back.

Akira pressed his face into Ryuji’s shoulder, heart pounding. He was feeling a lot of emotions right now and he didn’t know how to handle them. “Thanks,” Akira felt Ryuji pat his back, added to the flurry in his chest. Ryuji was so warm and he felt safe in his arms. How was Ryuji able to make everything better?

“No problem, you’re my best friend. You can tell me anything. You don’t have to handle all of this shit alone,” Ryuji said, hating seeing Akira this way, but was glad that Akira trusted him with this. “I’m serious, anyone who doesn’t love you is an idiot.”

Akira held onto him tighter, trying not to cry. How did he get so lucky?

* * *

“So pumped!” Ryuji said, smiling at Akira as they waited outside the movie theatre for the rest of the group the following Saturday. Yusuke and Futaba had ran to the convenience store for cheap snacks. “Wanna sit next to each other?”

“You two always sit next to each other, why would this be any different?” Morgana asked from Akira’s bag. Akira ignored Morgana and nodded his head.

“Of course,” Akira answered, smiling at him. Ryuji glared at Morgana, wanting to insult him but decided against it. Akira didn’t like when they argued, so he was goin’ hold back.

“That’s because we share popcorn!” Ryuji told the cat, sticking his hands in his pockets.

“And because I have tissues in my bag in case you start crying again,” Akira teased and Ryuji’s face went red.

“Don’t worry, I brought tissues too,” Ann laughed, walking up to the trio. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and kept laughing with Akira as Ryuji threw his hands up in the air.

“DUDE! You told her?!” He exclaimed, yelling at Akira. “You weren’t supposed to say anything!” He felt so betrayed, how could Akira do this to him?

“I only told Ann, and she promised not to tell anyone,” Akira said, trying to sound sorry but he was still chuckling at the situation.

“I can’t believe you cried,” Morgana started and Ryuji was ready for an insult, but Akira tugged at his bag, jostling Morgana who cried out but didn’t finish his insult.

“I’ll buy your ticket and the popcorn to make up for this betrayal,” Akira offered as Futaba and Yusuke returned, candy hanging out of Futaba’s pockets. Ryuji was going to argue against it; he wasn’t mad enough for Akira to buy his ticket, but Yusuke interrupted them.

“What betrayal?” Yusuke asked, lost about the conversation. Ann smirked at Ryuji, who glared at her.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Ann told him, patting his shoulder, and Ryuji let out a relieved sigh, not wanting the whole group to make fun of him. Makoto and Haru showed up a few minutes later, both almost late.

“Man, I thought you’d be the first one here, Makoto. You were excited about the movie on Monday,” Ryuji said as Akira brought his movie ticket.

“Yeah, I thought that too,” Akira turned from the booth and handed Ryuji his ticket.

“Dude, you really didn’t need to buy my ticket,” Ryuji said, holding onto the ticket tightly. Akira always bought him stuff and he felt guilty. Akira shrugged it off; he had already planned to buy Ryuji’s ticket. Buying Ryuji things was great, the blond always got flustered.

“Oh, w-well, I just barely missed the train, so I had to wait for the next one,” Makoto said once their attention was back on her, Futaba smirking at her side. She loved action movies, but she mostly said she wanted to see this as an excuse on Monday. “That was nice of you to buy his ticket,” she moved the topic of the conversation off of her.

“He always buys me stuff,” Ryuji complained when they headed inside the theatre. Haru got in line for concessions with Ann and the others followed. Yusuke and Futaba stood off to the side, neither needing anything.

“Its money we get from mementos runs, stop complaining,” Akira replied, wondering if it really bothered Ryuji that he bought him stuff. He didn’t want Ryuji offended by it, but Akira truly enjoyed spoiling Ryuji. He deserved it. “Let me spoil you, you deserve it.”

Makoto, Ann, and Haru, all made faces, silently aweing in line in front of the two boys.

 Hearing Akira say that made his heart beat faster and he tried to press down his feelings. “Y-you deserve to be spoiled too,” Ryuji said, sticking his hands back in his pockets. He wasn’t going to admit in front of the girls that he liked it when Akira bought him stuff. It made him feel special.

The girls bought their treats and Ryuji stood to the side while Akira bought their popcorn to share. “I got the biggest size,” Akira handed the popcorn to Ryuji and then grabbed their drinks, walking into the theatre with the others.

“Gross,” Futaba joked and Akira shot her a look, as did Haru.

“Be nice,” Haru chided her.

“I want to sit with Lady Ann, you two talk too much during the movie!” Morgana exclaimed when they got to their seats. Akira put down the drinks in his and Ryuji’s cup holder before he slid his bag off of his shoulder and handed it to Ann. She sat down in-between Futaba and Makoto while Haru sat next to Makoto and Yusuke sat next to her.

“We don’t talk at all,” Ryuji rolled his eyes, getting comfortable in his seat. He put the popcorn in-between him and Akira so they could both eat out of it.

The movie started and Ryuji was so absorbed in it that he blindly reached for the popcorn. He was surprised when he grabbed a hand instead of popcorn. “Oh, shit, sorry dude,” he whispered, realizing that he and Akira had reached for the popcorn at the same time. He quickly yanked his hand back, letting Akira get his popcorn before he reached for it again.

The next time he reached for popcorn, he made sure Akira’s hand wasn’t there. He reached and grabbed a handful, but then felt Akira’s hand on top of his. This time Akira yanked his hand back and Ryuji shot him a sheepish smile.

This happened multiple times before they just went with it. Akira would playful pushed Ryuji’s hand out of the way and Ryuji would pile popcorn on Akira’s hand when the movie got so intense that the male was too distracted to pull his hand out of the popcorn until Ryuji had covered it.

By the time the movie was over, both of their hands were greasy and had bits of popcorn stuck to them.

“What were you two doing?” Haru questioned as the lights in the theatre turned back on. “I kept seeing movement in the corner of my eyes.”

“They were playing in the popcorn,” Futaba answered. Both boys looked away, trying to stop their laughter. “Now I see why Morgana doesn’t like going to the movies with you two.”

“We didn’t talk though!” Ryuji exclaimed, defending himself. “We just kept reachin’ for the popcorn at the same time.”

“Make sure to wash your hands,” Makoto said, eying their greasy hands. They left the theatre and waited as Ryuji and Akira went to wash their hands.

“Did you even watch the movie?” Futaba questioned when Akira came out of the bathroom first, hands clean of butter.

“I did,” Akira didn’t want to talk about this in front of the others. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them to know about his feelings for Ryuji, but he was still trying to figure it all out. He had liked the boy since day one, but things had been different between them since last month. They were getting closer, but Akira couldn’t tell if it was platonic or romantic. Ryuji could be difficult to read.

Once Ryuji was out of the bathroom, they stood around and talked about the movie before breaking off, heading home.

“Let’s get this gremlin home,” Ryuji ruffled Futaba’s hair, making her whine as they left the building.

“Don’t do thatttt!” She fixed her hair while glaring at the blond male. “You’re spending the night together again?”

“It’s easier for us to go fishing tomorrow morning if he spends the night,” Akira said, brushing his bangs out of his face. They walked to the train station and got on the train without any issues. Once they were off the train and out of the station, Futaba pulled Morgana from Akira’s bag, holding him tightly despite his protests.

“You’re staying with me tonight!” She said as they walked towards the house, Ryuji and Akira both wanting to make sure Futaba made it there safely. “No need to hang out with them while they sit around and play videos games, right?”

“I guess so,” Morgana agreed. Akira felt like he owed Futaba for that one. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy having Morgana around, he loved the cat, but sometimes he wanted to be alone with Ryuji and he couldn’t have that if Morgana was sitting on the bed, judging them.

“There you are,” Sojiro greeted them once Futaba opened the door to the house. Morgana jumped out of her arms and trotted over to the couch Sojiro was sitting on. The cat jumped up and sat next to him, looking at Akira.

“I’ll be staying here tomorrow too. I don’t want to wake up early just to watch you two attempt to fish,” Morgana said, rolling his eyes.

“Last time we caught a fish,” Ryuji replied, hanging by the entryway with Akira.

“He spending the night again?” Sojiro asked, patting Morgana on the head. He nodded towards Ryuji, who nodded his head.

“That cool with you, boss?” Ryuji questioned, even though it didn’t matter what Sojiro said. The man never cared before and Ryuji doubted he would start caring now about the sleepovers. It’s not like Akira stayed at the house.

“I don’t care what you two do, long as you don’t make a mess,” he waved it off. “I shouldn’t be surprised, you two are always together.”

Akira made a face as Futaba put a hand over her mouth, holding back her laughter. Sojiro’s tone was playful, like a dad ready to embarrass his son.

“Okay well, it’s time to go!” Akira exclaimed, surprising Ryuji when he pushed him out the door. “See you later!”

“What’s the deal?” Ryuji questioned once Akira shut the door behind them.

“Nothing,” Akira replied, glad he got them out of there before Sojiro had a chance to say anything embarrassing. The older man already gave him looks whenever Ryuji was mentioned in conversations, he didn’t want Sojiro trying to interview him.

“Weirdo,” Ryuji bumped shoulders with him as they continued to walk through the neighborhood. Akira bumped shoulders with him back, wondering if it meant anything when Ryuji didn’t put more space between them.

* * *

“Hey man!” Still coming over today?” Ryuji asked Akira during lunch on Saturday. He took Ann’s empty desk and turned around so he was facing Akira. He put his arms on Akira’s desk and rested his chin on them.

“Yes, I made extra curry for your mom,” Akira patted his bag. Morgana had jumped into Ann’s bag when she left to eat lunch with Makoto.

“Sweet! She’s going to be super excited when she comes home and see that in the fridge for her,” Ryuji said, looking up at Akira. Akira leaned down so he was closer to Ryuji, and the blond could smell the scent of coffee in the air. Akira always smelled so good despite living in a somewhat dusty attic. Akira rested his chin on his elbow, a lazy smile on his face. They stayed like that, enjoying being in each other’s space until lunch was over.

* * *

 

Ryuji let Akira into his apartment, both kicking off their shoes once the door was shut. Akira went into the kitchen, putting the curry into the fridge. “I made it just like she likes it as congrats on getting that promotion,” Akira said after he shut the refrigerator door and came out of the kitchen.

“She’s goin’ love it, you don’t understand,” Ryuji said as they headed into his room. “I told her you were goin’ make her some in honor of getting the promotion and I swear, she almost started cryin’.”

“I’m happy she enjoys it,” Akira said and dropped his bag on the floor. He jumped onto Ryuji’s bed, stretching out. “She deserved that promotion.”

“She did,” Ryuji replied and set his bag on his desk chair. He took off his school jacket and was going to toss it on the back of the chair, but Akira yawned and he remembered to hang up the jacket. Akira always got onto him about throwing his clothes around. “Dude, did you—“ Ryuji turned to ask Akira if he had stayed up late making the curry, but saw the male passed out on his bed. “Guess that’s a yes.”

Ryuji changed into a tank top and shorts before looking over at Akira again. “Geez,” he mumbled, taking off his friend’s glasses so they wouldn’t get smashed. It’s not like he needed them anyway, Ryuji didn’t see why he wore them. He was plenty attractive without them, the glasses just hid his eyes. Ryuji sat them on the nightstand before sitting on the floor, leaning back against the side of the bed. He turned on his game console and the small tv in his room, ready to play some video games while Akira napped.

Ryuji tried to push Akira’s sleeping face out of his mind while he started up his game, but it was difficult. Akira was insanely attractive, and kind, and snarky and all around great. Ryuji wondered how he got so lucky to have such an amazing best friend.

Sometimes Ryuji felt like he couldn’t breathe when he was around Akira. His heart would feel like it was doing overtime and his adrenaline would start pumping, just like when he fought a shadow in mementos. Every time Akira smiled because of him or at him or laughed or touched him or leaned against him, he felt overwhelmed. It was like everything hit him at once and he couldn’t handle it. He wasn’t sure _how_ to handle it.

There was no guide to liking your best friend.

* * *

“This is delicious,” Ryuji’s mom said as she chowed down on the curry Akira brought them for dinner.

“Thanks, I’m glad you like it,” Akira had long since finished his, he always ate his curry so fast. Ryuji wasn’t sure how he stomached such fast eating, but that was just another wonder of Akira.

“Ryuji, you need to learn how to make this stuff,” his mom took another bite, sighing at the taste. Ryuji leaned back in his seat, shooting her a look. Akira had an amused expression on his face.

“Eh, curry is not my thing,” Ryuji told her, shaking his head. “Do you not like the food I make you?”

“Aw, of course, I love your cooking, kiddo,” she ruffled his hair once she was done with her food. “Your food is delicious and filled with love! I just wouldn’t mind having more curry.”

“You hear that, Akira? You’ll have to try and teach me how to make curry, or just make it for my mom more often,” Ryuji told the other male, then stood up. “I got the dishes,” he picked up the plates and silverware before heading into the kitchen to wash them.

“You need help?” Akira called out, getting ready to get up and help him.

“Nah, I got this man,” Ryuji replied before they heard the water turn on.

“I’m sure teaching Ryuji a few tricks won’t be that difficult for you,” she told her attention to Akira, smiling at him. “You two get along so well together. To be honest, I was a little worried after the track incident. He was down in the dumps all the time and I wasn’t there all the time due to my jobs. I know he was lonely, but he kept up a strong front. He’s never wanted to make me worry, even when he was just a little kid, but I knew he was miserable. Then one day he came home smiling, talking about this new kid at school who had a reputation just as bad as his own. I’ll admit, I was a bit apprehensive about who he was hanging around with until he begin talking about you more. Now he’s got so many friends and he’s always smiling. I feel like I need to thank you.”

 “If anything, I should be thanking you,” Akira said, surprising her. “I was alone when I arrived here. No one wanted to be near me, except Ryuji. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had. I’m lucky to have him.”

She smiled at him and ruffled his hair affectionately. Miiko loved this boy so much. “You two are just perfect for one another then,” this made Akira’s face go red and they heard silverware clatter to the floor in the kitchen.

“M-MOM!” Ryuji exclaimed, coming into the room at lightning speed.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, looking at him. “I was just telling Akira how happy I am that you two met, don’t be so embarrassed about it. It’s all the truth, you two are a match made in heaven,” she added and Ryuji knew that she knew what she was saying.

She knew the implications behind her words.

“Don’t say it like that!” Ryuji wanted to disappear in this moment. Why was his mom trying to embarrass him like this?

“You’re getting so flustered, kiddo, what’s the matter?” Miiko asked, raising her eyebrows at her son’s reaction. Bless his heart, he was so in love with Akira. With how Akira reacted, he felt the same way. This made her elated. Akira was such a great kid and the way he treated Ryuji—like he was the most important thing in his life—made her want to hug him and adopt him as her own son. She couldn’t imagine one without the other, even though Akira had only entered their lives a few months ago.

Seeing Ryuji smiling again and actually wanting to go to school was relieving. She had been so worried about him, but it seemed that he was in good hands now.

“I’ll finish the dishes, you two go play your games,” she said as she got up and shooed the boys into Ryuji’s room. She went to the kitchen and started washing the plates, hearing the two laughing. It was nice to have the apartment filled with laughter, instead of silence or fighting.

The day Akira showed up in Ryuji’s life was the day Miiko knew it was going to be okay. She felt silly for placing so much hope on Akira, he was just a teenager with luck as bad as Ryuji’s, but he changed things for the good without evening knowing. She finished the dishes and headed towards her own room, stopping by Ryuji’s door to peek into the small crack from when he didn’t shut the door all the way. Both boys were sitting on the floor, backs against the wall playing a video game. They were close together, legs tangled up together, sharing a blanket around their shoulders. She smiled and went to bed.

* * *

Ryuji hadn’t even noticed he had fallen asleep until he heard his mom moving around in her room. The clock on his nightstand read four in the morning. The tv was still on, the start menu of his game flashing at him. Ryuji could feel someone holding him and his head was resting against someone. He heard a groan when he shifted his head and felt the arm around his waist pull him closer. Ryuji’s eyes went wide when he realized he and Akira had fallen asleep while playing games. He was turned slightly with his legs on top of Akira’s, almost sitting on his lap. Akira’s arms were around his waist, holding Ryuji against him.

Ryuji wanted to pull away, but the feeling of warmth and security he had in Akira’s arms was too great to give it up just yet. He put his head back against Akira’s shoulder, trying to steady his heart. What was he going to do? This feeling wasn’t going to go away.

He closed his eyes and tried to forget.

* * *

“You really didn’t have to take me to the movies, dude,” Ryuji said as he and Akira got on the train the next Saturday.

“You passed both of your exams, you get a reward,” Akira replied, taking a seat next to the blond. Ryuji looked forward, smiling to himself. He was really proud about passing his exams and it made him incredibly happy that Akira was proud of him. The black haired male was the first person he told and the feeling he got when Akira had smiled and hugged him was overwhelming.

The more aware he became of his feelings, the stronger they got. Saying it all out loud to Haru on Thursday took a heavy weight off of his chest. Hiding a secret from Akira was difficult, but at least he could talk to Haru about it. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do about it. He knew if he confessed to Akira, and he didn’t feel the same, their friendship wouldn’t change, but the thought of being rejected was too much for him to handle.

“I’m surprised you didn’t cry,” Akira started to tease him again and Ryuji groaned.

“How long are you goin’ hold that over my head?” He asked, wishing Akira would forget about it.

“It was sweet that you were that invested,” Akira said and Ryuji rolled his eyes. They sat on the train in comfortable silence until they arrived at Akira’s stop. They got up and got off the train, navigating past all of the people in the station. Every time their fingers brushed, Ryuji felt a jolt run down his spine. He felt so aware of how close they were to one another.

“Let’s get some snacks at the convenience store,” Akira said, snapping Ryuji out of his thoughts.

* * *

“I can’t believe the lobsters are still alive,” Ryuji said as they exited the store, Akira carrying his bag. “So I’m just going to spend an hour or two watching them while he draws me?”

“Basically yes,” Akira replied. “That’s what I did when he made me model. I wonder how it’ll turn out,” Akira was curious about it, for sure. He wasn’t sure how Yusuke was going to do two pieces based off of him and Ryuji. He assumed it also had to do with why Yusuke asked him about what color he saw when he looked at Ryuji. It made him nervous. He felt like he needed to confess to Ryuji soon, before Yusuke finished the piece and possibly scared Ryuji off. Talking about his feelings with Futaba had helped and he was thankful that he had someone to talk about it with. He would have to bounce ideas off of her later.

He opened the door to Leblanc for Ryuji and followed him in. Sojiro was wiping down the counter, ready to close up.

“Hey Boss!” Ryuji greeted while Akira went to the small kitchen to put some of the food he bought away.

“Hey kid, doing another sleepover?” He asked, scrubbing at a coffee stain. “Do you two sit up and play video games all night?’

“We did that last Saturday and this guy was sleep when we went fishing,” Ryuji nodded his head towards Akira.

“I had to drink awful coffee to stay awake,” Akira added, not happy about it.

“Guess you need to go to bed at a decent time,” Sojiro got the stain out and continued with the rest of the counter as Ryuji asked Akira for some coffee. He was proud of the kid for how fast he learned about coffee, even if he loaded it down with milk and sugar for Ryuji. Whenever a customer asked for that, Akira would cringe as the flavor of the coffee was replaced by milk and sugar. However, when Ryuji asked for it Akira would tease him and make the drink with a smile. Sojiro looked over at the two, observing how they interacted.

“You’re going to have a sugar rush,” Akira said while he made the drink. Ryuji was sitting back on the barstool, shaking his head.

“Dude, I’ll be fine! That popcorn at the movies made me super thirsty. I’m bummed I dropped my drink and they wouldn’t lemme get a new one.”

“I would’ve bought you another one. Besides, we shared mine,” Akira replied, adding sugar to the coffee.

“You already paid for my ticket and the snacks, I wasn’t goin’ let you buy me another drink,” Ryuji leaned over the counter, watching Akira work.

They shared a drink? Akira paid for the tickets and the snacks too? Were the two dating? Akira didn’t talk about that before, even when Sojiro had asked him. The kid had only turned away and fiddled with his bangs.

“Aw man, this is so good!” Ryuji exclaimed after taking a sip of the coffee.

“You say that every time,” Akira cleaned up the machine while Ryuji continued drinking his coffee.

“That’s because it’s always good.”

Sojiro noticed Akira smile at that. He went back to finishing the counter, tuning out their chatter about the movie they had just seen. When he was done, he threw the rag into the laundry bin under the counter with the other rags. Akira was leaning against the counter, resting his chin on his elbows. He looked like a lovesick fool. Ryuji looked to have the same expression, both smiling at each other like they forgot that he was even here.

“Well, I’m heading out. If I have to watch you two anymore, I might go crazy,” he said and Akira quickly pulled back, as did Ryuji. “Good luck,” Sojiro directed this at Akira, then left with the door shutting behind him.

Akira inwardly groaned while Ryuji shot him a confused look, not understanding why Sojiro told Akira ‘good luck’. Akira took Ryuji’s empty coffee cup and set it in the sink.

“Ready to play some games?” he asked and took off his apron.

“Yeah!” Ryuji got off the stool and grabbed the bag of snacks Akira had left on the counter before heading upstairs. Akira followed after him. He was relieved that Ryuji didn’t mention what Sojiro said, he knew the older male would be having a conversation with him later about it. Was he so obvious that even Sojiro noticed he liked Ryuji? Why wouldn’t Ryuji notice too?

He and Ryuji both changed into their pjs before starting up the game and opening the snacks they had gotten earlier.

* * *

After Ryuji’s third yawn, Akira decided it was time for bed. Ryuji threw away the snack packages while Akira put the chairs and controllers away.

“I’m so tired. I hope my mom remembers to take her lunch with her to work tomorrow,” Ryuji said and moved towards Akira’s bed. He got under the covers and yawned again, rubbing his eyes. Akira climbed in and sighed, back relieved that it was no longer hunched over. He plugged both he and Ryuji’s phones in to charge while Ryuji shifted to lay on his side, facing the wall. “G’night man,” Ryuji said.

“Night,” Akira whispered back. He laid awake for a while, listening to Ryuji’s breathing and the sound of the city around them. He froze when Ryuji turned in his sleep, put his arm across Akira’s chest. His face was buried between Akira’s arm and the pillow. Ryuji let out a content sigh and nuzzled in closer.

Akira really needed to tell him.

* * *

Ryuji opened the window in the living room and the door to their small balcony. He would much rather not be cleaning, but he wanted to make his mom happy. He had texted Akira earlier, asking if he wanted to hang out after he was done cleaning, but he was working at the flower shop today and they were always busy on Saturdays.

“At least there’s no school today,” he said to himself and turned on the radio. He was out on the balcony shaking out their hallway rug when he heard the doorbell ring. He paused and left the rug outside to answer the door.

When he opened it, he was greeted with a vase filled with yellow flowers.

“Good morning,” Makoto greeted, holding the vase out to him. “These daffodils are for you” she passed the vase to the confused blond, his surprised expression making her smile.

“What?” He asked, not understanding.

“When you figure out the meaning, let me know,” Makoto said and turned to leave.

“W-wait, what’s going on?” Ryuji asked, stopping her.

“You told Akira you would be able to tell the meanings of the flowers in a bouquet, so this is the challenge. I can’t give you hints, but the flowers are very fitting to whoever delivers them and they express how Akira feels. For you. When you figure it out, you text the deliverer. After the last bouquet, Akira will meet you at Leblanc," Makoto explained.

“How will I know what the last bouquet is?”

“Trust me, you’ll know. Good luck,” she left with a smile.

Ryuji shut the door and set the flowers on the table. He didn’t think Akira was going to do something like this. He grabbed his phone off the coffee table and looked up the meaning of the flowers.

“Chivalry…happiness…new beginnings?” He questioned, reading off the site. He wasn’t sure how this applied to him or Makoto.

_Ryuji: Chivalry, happiness, and new beginnings?_

_Makoto: You got it, good job._

_Ryuji: I still don’t understand._

_Makoto: I was supposed to let you figure it out, but this is your first bouquet. You make him happy, Ryuji. Being friends gave us all new beginnings as well. Plus, this will be the start of a new beginning._

_Ryuji: What will be the start of a new beginning?_

Makoto didn’t respond, so Ryuji gave up on waiting on her. “I make him happy? Well, duh, we are friends,” Ryuji put his phone down and went back to cleaning, wondering what the next flower would be.

* * *

Ryuji was organizing and cleaning the cabinets in the kitchen when he heard three knocks on the apartment door. He got off the counter and set the cups he was straightening up down and went to the door. He opened it was greeted by Ann, who picked up a vase filled with red flowers off the ground.

"These amaryllis sure are heavy, we'll need to do some more arm days," she winked at him and passed him the vase, then walked down the hall, leaving him with the flowers. He watched her go before returning to the apartment. He set the flowers next to the daffodils, examining them.

 "Uh...Ann brought them so maybe they've got to do with something smelling good? Or something sweet?" He tried to guess but gave up and looked at the flower website that was still pulled up on his phone. "Amaryllis stands for...splendid beauty?!" He exclaimed re-reading it to make sure he had read correctly.

_Ryuji: Splendid beauty?_

The flowers were beautiful, and the apartment smelled better.

_Ann: Yeah, that's it! Know why I brought you those???_

_Ryuji: Because you're pretty?_

_Ann: Well duh, but that's not it. C’mon, think about it! I even gave you a hint_

Ryuji furrowed his brows. A hint? All she said was something about arm day.

Oh.

_Ryuji: Arm day?_

_Ann: Yes!!_

_Ryuji: Because...Akira stares at my arms?_

Ryuji felt embarrassed just by typing that. There was no way that was right. That was just some joke the girls made up.

_Ann: Bingo! Well, he stares at all of you, but that was the only hint I could think of._

_Ryuji: Ann what the hell is going on!_

He waited for a reply but it didn't come. He was so confused right now. Was this all some joke? How were these flowers supposed to represent something about him? Beauty he could see with Ann, but for himself?

Did Akira really think he was beautiful?

* * *

Once Ryuji finished reorganizing and cleaning the kitchen, he begin vacuuming. He didn't hear the door open or someone walk in until he turned and saw Yusuke standing there. Ryuji almost screamed.

"You weren't answering the door so I let myself in," Yusuke said, walking over to hand him a vase filled to the brim with sunflowers. "A beautiful flower that brightens any room it's in. How fitting. It also was the subject of many of Van Gogh paintings," Yusuke explained what Ryuji assumed was his hint, and left the apartment, gently shutting the door behind him. Ryuji almost tripped over the rug but made it to the coffee table without dropping the flowers. He set them down and stared at them. He loved sunflowers, they were always so happy.

_Ryuji: Is this another happy flower?_

_Yusuke: it can represent happiness, but that is not its intended message_

Ryuji wasn't sure how to figure this out other than looking it up on his phone. He didn't know what Akira thought about him and after the pass two flowers, he still didn't know. He clicked on the flower website, scrolling until he found sunflowers.

_Ryuji: adoration?_

Ryuji couldn't believe that. There was no way that's what it meant.

_Yusuke: Correct. The flower is very fitting for you. It also can mean that your smile is bright._

_Ryuji: Dude what?_

_Yusuke: Before I asked you what color you think of when you think of Akira, I asked him the same question about you. He said yellow, a soft yellow that lights up every room. Metaphorically speaking, you are the light that gets rid of any darkness he may feel. The light he adores very much._

Ryuji stared at the text message, hands shaking. He thought his smile was bright? He adored him? Did he mean this all romantically or what?! Ryuji groaned and buried his face in the couch cushion. He wanted him to mean all of this romantically but he didn't want to get his hopes up.

Still...Akira saw him as his light?

* * *

It took some time for Ryuji to recover from the sunflowers. When he went to clean the bathroom, he had to shut the door to stop himself from looking at the flowers. He couldn't help but smile at them, but at the same time, he felt anxious. What if he was taking this the wrong way? He scrubbed the shower extra hard, mind racing. When he finished, the bathroom was spotless but he was still restless. What flower was going to be next? What would it mean?

It had been a while since Yusuke dropped by, which was probably a good thing. Ann and Yusuke dropped by within an hour of each other and he hadn't finished processing the idea that Akira found him beautiful before he had more on his plate. At least the apartment was almost clean and his mom would be happy when she got home in a couple of hours, even if _he_ was a complete mess. There was a tapping so light at the door, Ryuji almost missed it. He maneuvered past the bucket and brush he set out so he could scrub the floors and went over to the door. Haru stood with a short vase filled with small purple flowers.

“These violets are for you. I meant everything I said when we went flower shopping last week," she held the vase in one hand and gave him a quick hug before giving it to him and hurrying down the hallway.

He brought the flowers inside and placed them on the small entertainment center, trying not to clutter the table with flowers. The violets were so small but vibrant. Maybe that's how they related to Haru? He picked up his phone and searched for violets, making sure he looked up the specific color he had.

"Loyalty, devotion?" He questioned, reading the meaning.

_Ryuji: Loyalty and devotion?_

_Haru: That's right, great job! Do you know why he sent you those?_

_Ryuji: Because I'm a loyal friend?_

_Haru: Yes. You stand by Akira no matter what he's going through or what is happening in the world around us. You refuse to let anyone harm him. In turn, he does the same for you. A truly devoted pair you are. I've said it before, but he's very lucky to have you._

Ryuji plopped down onto the floor next to the bucket. This flower wasn't as mind reeling as the sunflowers, thank god. It made him feel warm inside that Akira was aware of how loyal Ryuji was to him. He didn’t know that Haru noticed his loyalty and devotion, but she had listened to him talk about how he felt for Akira, so he wasn't surprised. The part that threw him off was the devotion.

Was Akira really devoted to him?

* * *

Ryuji felt a breeze blow through the apartment as he finished up scrubbing the floors. He hoped the breeze helped the floors dry quickly so they weren't wet by the time his mom got home from work. The whole apartment felt fresh, he couldn't tell if it was due to his cleaning or the flowers, maybe it was both? He dumped the dirty water into the shower drain as someone rang the doorbell.

Then rang it again.

And again.

"I'm comin!!" He shouted but the ringing continued. He stomped over to the door and swung it opened, revealing Futaba with a shit-eating smirk on her face, finger on the doorbell. "What took you so long?"

"I was dumping out some water, I just scrubbed the floors," he explained, looking at the vase of red flowers on the ground.

"Boring. Anyway, these red carnations are for you," she picked up the vase and handed it to him, sloshing the water in the vase around. "Remember when we watched that show with the two characters who were pining after each other so hard but we're oblivious to each other’s' feelings?" She questioned, pushing up her glasses.

"Yeah, what about it?"

Futaba pressed the doorbell again and ran off.

"What the hell!" He yelled at her, hearing her laughter bounce down the hallway. He caught another voice, it sounded like Makoto chiding her for making Ryuji mad. Of course, Futaba couldn't have made it to his apartment by herself. He rolled his eyes and shut the door, careful not to slip on the drying floors. He placed the flowers on the small end table against the back wall, running out of room for flowers.

Who was going to deliver the next batch? Morgana?

"Red carnations..." Ryuji mumbled to himself while he went to get his phone from the table. He was guessing they were related to Futaba by means of the characters in the tv show. He got his phone and scrolled through the site, having trouble finding the meaning for red carnations. When he finally found it, he almost dropped his phone.

"T-there's no way!" He exclaimed, shaking his head. He turned and stared at the flowers, then the picture on the screen, then back at the flowers.

_Ryuji: My heart aches for you?_

_Ryuji: That can't be the right meaning!_

_Futaba: Well it is. You and Akira are just like the characters in the show. Oblivious as hell._

_Ryuji: This isn't funny!_

_Futaba: it's not meant to be, you noob!_

Ryuji wanted to pace, but the floor was still drying. His adrenaline was pumping and he had to do something. He went to his room, deciding to deep clean it. He could hear his heart beating, pounding against his chest. He felt overwhelmed by all his thoughts and feelings, it was too much to handle. There was no way those flowers were for real. No way! How could Akira feel that way about him?

How could Akira's heart ache for him?

* * *

He had just finished cleaning his room when he heard the front door opened. He tensed up, not sure he could handle the next vase of flowers.

"I'm home! Oh wow, it looks amazing in here!" He heard his mom say and he let out a deep breath. He came out of his room and smiled at her, trying to push back his inner panic attack. "You did such an amazing job!" She hugged him tightly. "The flowers are a really nice touch, where did they come from?"

"Uh," Ryuji was so stuck on the last set of flowers he didn't come up with an excuse. "A-Akira and I were joking around about flowers and I said I could figure out of the meaning to any flower he put in a bouquet but I didn't think it was going to be like this!" He couldn't keep his voice calm like he was hoping.

"I think it's lovely, did he just drop them all off?" She asked, setting her purse on the table and petting a petal on the daffodils.

"No...the others brought them by one by one. I get more when I figure out the meaning. It's like a riddle," he answered, looking at the flowers.

"And what are the meanings?" She asked and he grew embarrassed. It felt so awkward to say it to her when he didn't even know what was happening.

"The daffodils were brought by Makoto because she got a new beginning when she became our friend. We all did. When in a bunch they mean joy and happiness," he started and she nodded her head. "Ann brought the amaryllis, they mean splendid beauty. Kinda easy to see why she brought them. The sunflowers were delivered by Yusuke. They mean adoration and your smile is bright...he..uh...Yusuke asked what color Akira saw when he looks at me and he said that he sees yellow...that I...brighten up his dark," Ryuji said, looking anywhere but at his mom. "Haru brought the violets. They represent loyalty and devotion..."

"And you and Akira are very loyal and devoted to each other?" His mom questioned and he nodded his head.

"And the red carnations were brought by Futaba because she thinks Akira and I are like these two characters in a show. They mean..." he took a breath and stared at the ground. "My heart aches for you."

Ryuji kept staring at the floor, wondering how his mother would react. 

"So Akira got a new beginning filled with joy and happiness when he met you and thinks you have splendid beauty. He adores you and thinks of you as the light of his life and reflects your own loyalty and devotion for him back onto you, and his heart aches for you," his mother said, summarizing it all.

"I dunno what it all means! Well, I do, but I dunno how I'm supposed to take this all? Does he mean this stuff for real? Does he like me like that?!" Ryuji rambled, throwing his hands in the air.

There was a sound at the front door before either of them could say anything else.

Ryuji forced his legs to move, hands shaking as he opened the door. There was a vase of red tulips in front of the door and when he looked down the hallway, he saw the tail of a cat go around the corner.

He picked up the flowers and brought them into the apartment, not noticing his mother’s wide eyes as he made space for them on the coffee table.

"Red tulips?" His mother questioned and he nodded his head as he set them down. "Kiddo, those flowers definitely represent his feelings loud and clear," his mother said and he turned to look at her.

"What?" He asked, not understanding what she meant.

"Red tulips are a declaration of love.”

* * *

"I can hear you pacing from downstairs," Sojiro said, startling Akira. The older man stood at the top of the stairs, shaking his head. "You remind me of myself after I confessed to a girl when I was in high school. Nothing but nervous wondering what her response would be. What's got you so stressed?"

Akira stared at him, anxiousness all over his face. Sojiro had never seen the kid look like this before.

"So I'm supposed to feel like this? Great," Akira muttered, messing with his bangs.

"You confessed?" Sojiro questioned, eyes wide. "Well, kid, I don't think there's much need to worry about his response. I'm heading home for the night. Don't worry about the cat, It's at our house," he said, going back down the stairs, chucking to himself.

Did Akira really think Ryuji would say no? He left the shop and was about to lock up when he saw Ryuji running down the street...with flowers in his hand?

"Go on in, kid, he's been waiting for you," Sojiro held open the door for the blond, who nodded his head and went inside. Ryuji was definitely holding a bouquet. Sojiro shut and locked the door, wondering why it took them so long.

* * *

Akira was pretty sure Ryuji would say no. He dropped off the flowers an hour ago and got a head start out of the building before Morgana scratched at the door to get their attention, just in case Ryuji decided to chase the cat.

He heard the café door shut and he sighed, sitting on his bed. He looked up as he heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs. Ryuji stumbled into the room, panting with one arm behind his back.

“Ryuji?” Akira questioned, standing now.

“DUDE!” Ryuji coughed, trying to catch his breath. His heart was beating so fast and it wasn’t even because of the running he did from the station to the café. He was so nervous, air wasn’t coming to him easily. “I-I don’t know how to do shit like this, okay? Getting all those flowers…it was confusing as hell and I know it took me forever to get over here, but,” Ryuji moved his arm from behind his back, shoving a bouquet of flowers at Akira. “You did it with flowers, so it’s only fair that I get to, too,” Ryuji stood up straighter now, watching his expression. Akira stared at the flowers, not expecting this. Hana must have made it with how so many different flowers were arranged.

Daisies were all around the bouquet, bright spots of white and gold amidst the purple of the lavender that filled the air with a calming scent. Morning Glories were arranged around the large pink camellia flower, colors contrasting against one another. It was an odd arrangement, especially since camellias weren’t typically used in bouquets, but that made it all the more fitting for Ryuji.

“Daises are for loyal love because I know you’ll always be there for me no matter what. The lavender is for admiration because you’re so amazin’ and I look up to you. You handle all the shitty things that have happened to you so perfectly, I dunno how you do it. Morning Glories mean affection because the affection you give me makes me so happy. I’m really touchy-feely and you put up with it and return it and I love it,” Ryuji explained, licking his lips, giving him a second to take a breath. “Pink camellias mean divine, but they also mean…uh…”

“My destiny is in your hands,” Akira finished for him, looking up at Ryuji’s eyes. Ryuji was looking at him with so much love and worry in his eyes. He couldn’t believe this was happening.

“I feel stupid for not realizing it sooner, I mean, who wouldn’t love you?” Ryuji said, breaking the silence that had come over them.

Akira hugged Ryuji so fast that the blond almost lost his balance. He kept them both upright and hugged Akira back, trying not to mess up the flowers. He could feel Akira shaking in his arms and he couldn’t tell if he was crying or laughing.

“And who wouldn’t love you?” Akira questioned, squeezing Ryuji while he laughed, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. “I was stupid too. We were both so oblivious to our feelings and each other’s feelings. I can’t believe it took me this long to realize that I loved you. Maybe it’s because I’ve felt this way since I met you?”

“For real?!” Ryuji asked, pulling away a little to look at Akira’s face. They were both a mess, laughing and crying at the same time. Akira brought a hand to Ryuji’s face and used his thumb to wipe some of the tears off his face. “I dunno, it feels like it was the same for me too. I always knew you were different than everyone else, just didn’t know why.”

“At least we finally figured it out,” Akira took the flowers from Ryuji’s hand and set them on the shelf next to them. He put his arm back around Ryuji’s waist, pulling him closer. Ryuji moved his arms around Akira’s neck, chuckling again.

“Only took us a few months,” Ryuji said, mind finally settling down from all its overthinking. He ran his fingers through Akira’s hair, marveling at the softness of it. Akira hummed and leaned in, lips ghosting over Ryuji’s.

“Can I…?”

“Yeah,” Ryuji whispered and pulled Akira closer until their lips touched. Ryuji closed his eyes and kept his fingers in Akira’s hair, not wanting to let him go.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for too long,” Akira said quietly when they pulled away, both panting. The golden specks amongst the brown in his eyes were shimmering and Akira smirked. “You’re so beautiful.”

“D-dude,” Ryuji blushed—which only made him look even more beautiful—and looked away. How could Akira say that with a straight face? He had been a total mess when he was confessing! “How do you say that stuff so easily?”

“I speak the truth,” Akira pressed his forehead against Ryuji’s. Ryuji looked back and Akira got an even better view of his eyes. “So beautiful,” he murmured, voice deepening. Akira kissed him again, this time with more passion than the last. Ryuji tugged at Akira’s hair while Akira ran one of his hands down Ryuji’s back. The light touches made Ryuji let out a content sound and Akira did it again, trying to get Ryuji to make the noise again.

“You have such a wonderful voice," Akira said, moving to kiss Ryuji's jaw. Ryuji tightened his hold on Akira's hair, making the male groan quietly.

All Akira wanted to do was kiss Ryuji and compliment him all night, and that's what he was going to do.

“How about we skip going fishing tomorrow?” Ryuji suggested. Akira pulled away to grin at him, nodding his head in agreement. 

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhhhh I really loved writing this series. I have a few other ryuji and akira fics in the works and I’m excited to share those too. I hope you all enjoyed the Saturday portion. Thank you so much for reading!


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